Flange lubricator



Aug. ai, 1926. 1,598,119

L. N. VINCENT FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1922 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 cum 2 gwoentoz Lou/5 /Y. VINCE/VT,

Aug. 31, 1926. 1,598,179

L. N. VINCENT FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gwowntoz Lou/5 fl VINCENT,

Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

MITE STATES tsaaua PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS N. VINCENT, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON; JESSIE R. VINGENT,'EXECUTRIXOF "SAID LOUIS N. VINCENT, DECEASED, ASSIGNOB TO IMPERIAL STEAMAPPLIANCE COMPANY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION.

FLANGE LUBRICATOR.

Application filed December My invention relates to improvements inflange lubricators for wheels, and more par ticularly to lubricators foruse in lubricating the flanges of the wheels of locomotives, steam,electric and other cars, etc.

My invention consists in the several features, and in theconstruction,combination and arrangement of such features as more fullyhereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to thoroughly and constantly lubricatethe flanges of the wheels of a locomotive or car, especially when thewheels are travelling on the curved portions of a track, as very little,if any, lubrication of the flanges is necessary when the wheels aretravelling on a straight track.

A further object is to dispense with the use, as a lubricant, of solidstick grease, and

thick grease of all characters which have many disadvantages, andsubstitute oil therefor as a lubricant.

A further object is to provide a flange lubricator for wheels which willcause the oil or lubricant to be automatically fed to the flanges of thewheels by means of the lateral or 'sidewise movement or play of thetruck or engine frame and also the latera1 movement of the wheelsbetween the rails during their travel on the track.

A further object is to provide a flange lubricator for wheels which willoperate continuously and automatically and require no attention or careexcept the keeping of the lubricant receptacle constantly supplied withoil or lubricant.

A further object is to provide a flange lubricator for wheels having aWick or brush with means for keeping the same constantly and evenlypressed against the flange of the wheel and also means for constantlysupplying the brush with oil.

A further object is to provide a flange lubr cator which will entirelyeliminate the possibility of the oil or lubricant being spread onto thetread of the wheel, and which is mounted in such manner that when theflange of the Wheel comes in contact with the lubricator it does notcause an excessive amount of oil to be spread on the flange of thewheel.

A still further lubricator for expensive and 5, 1922. Serial No.604,992.

of order even with hard usage, and which operates easily and silently,thereby} obtaining a'maximum effectiveness.

The invention consists in the several features and in the construction,combination and arrangement of such features as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sec'tion.

Fig. '3 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

F 4: is a detail section of the sleeve.

Fig. 5 is a detail section of the plunger.

In the drawings, in Which similar reference characters denote similarparts throughout the several views, 1 represents the flange lubricator,in which oil is to be used as the lubricant instead of grease, 2 the oilreceptacle or container which is mounted at the top of a vertical pipe 3and is provided with a closure 4. V

A horizontal casing 5 is provided, having an upwardly extendinginteriorly screwthreaded projection 6 in which the lower end? of thepipe 3 is screwed. 8 being a series of oil inlet or, strainer openingsin the bottom of I the projection 6, through which oil is fed to aninterior chamber 9 of the casing 5.

The outer end 10 of the casing 5 is provided with interior screwthreads11, and a barrel or sleeve 12 is mounted in the chamber 9 and isPIOVldGCl'Wlljl'l a head 13, having screwthreads 14-, which engage thescrewthreads 11 and hold the barrel in place. The barrel 12 is reducedin diameter from a point'15 at the rear of the head 13 to the extremeend 16 thereof and adjacent such end a pin 17 is mounted. Telescopicallymounted to slide freely in the barrel 12 i s-a hollow plunger 18, whichis provided wlth upper and lowerlongitudinal slots 19 and20,.respectively, through whichthe p n 17 passes. and through which theoil enters the interior of the hollow plunger from the container 2,through pipe 7 andthrough the series of inlet openings 8.

The inner end of theplunger 18 is provided with an enlarged head 21having a suitable paclring ring 22in order to provide a tightjoint'between the interior chamber 9 of the casing 5 and the head 21 ofthe pl nge a Justfbey nd-the head 21 the plunger is providedwith anexteriorly screwthreaded projection 23, and 24 is a wick or brushengaging the screwthreaded projection and 25 is a sleeve or casingslidably mounted in an aperture 26 in the ,inner end of the casing 5,which surrounds and encloses the ,wickor brush 24, its inner ;endabutting againstjthe head 21 and its outer endbeing ;incl1 ned or formedat an oblique angle as atj21 in order to conform to the inclination ofthe iflange of the wheel.

In order, to retain-the brush in constant contact with the flange of thewheel a helical spring 27 is provided located in the interior of thebarrel 1 2, intermediate the head 13 of the barrel and theouter end28-of the hollow plunger 18. r

' In operation, the oil flows from the oil container 2 down the pipe 3,through the series of inlet openings and strainers 8 until iit ifillsthe'chzimber-Q'ofjthe casing'5, flows through the slots 19 and 2010ithe'plunger and fills the interior of; the same and also the barrel 12,'andtheouter end-21 of the sleeve25 and .;the wick or-brush 24continually contacting and bearing tightly against the flange of thewheel, the forceof the contact being regulated by .the strength ortension of thehe lical springr27. iVVhen the lat eral .sidewisemoyementor play of the wheel or wheels causes the sleeve 25 and :barrel 12 to bepushed or moved inward, against the pressure .or tension ofthehelic'alspring 27 the oilcontained inthe chamber 9 is forced through,the' slots 19 and- 20 into the interior 'ofthe hollow plunger 18, bythe pressure on .the'oil of thehead 21 of the plunger, and the oil'isforced by such pressure from the ,hollow vplunger into and lengthwisethrough the bristles of thebrush, or the wick 1 tron-lend to .end whichspreads theoil evenly on the flangeofthe wheel.

v Ido not wish tobe understood as limiting myself to the specifiedetai ls of construction vand arrangement as herein described and illustrated,as it is nanifest that variations and o i t ns aybe m de i such fe ur s(i co s ruc o d a a g me t, i r-th aptat o i h devi e o t va i u rconditionslof use, WiIEhOut departing from vthe p rit an s ope 1 y nve te a d imp ovementsthe e o e rese ve h r s 0 al such ra iati n a m difiat me s P operly tal Wi in he scop eeven ion an t e een off the .felowin claims- I E'-= .tl's a a s rr A flange r te rce nnrisieg.; n 911biea ioe, eas g a lubri an upply-rec p- A ti l? emeuiimeaiee are sa d ean 1 hollow plunger mounted for reciprocation in said casing, alubricantbrush'projecting from the outer end of said hollow plunger, a sleevesurrounding said brush, said sleeve and'hrush arranged to contact with awheel flange and adapted to reciprocate sa d plunger upon lateralmovement of said flange whereby to force oil or other lubrihcant fromsaid casing along the bristles ofsaid brush. I

2. A flange lubricator comprising, in combinatiom a hollow casingconnnunicating at oneend with a source otlubraoant supply,

a lubricant brush oro ectin throu h the opposite end of saidcasingadaptedtocontact with-a wheel flange,ra, .plunger in said a'plunger insaid casing arrangedto re l ciprocate with said brush, and having atubular rearward extension ofless diameter than the diameter of saidcasing, guiding means forsaid tubular extension, said extensionpresenting a slot to permit lubricant --to. flow therein from thei'nterior annular spacein said casing andrmeansrto maintain the brush inengagement withrthe flange.

4. Aflange lubricator comprising, .in combination, a substantiallyhorizontal tubular casing having a lubricating brush projecting i'romone end and arranged to contact with a wheel flange, .a lubricantreceptacle above the opposite endof :saidcasing and .c'ommumcatlngtherewith through one side,

a tubular plunger reciprocatable within said casing and presentingaplurahty of slots to permit lubricant to flow ,therethrough into theinner end of the brush, said plunger arranged to be reciprocated by :the#lateral motion or" the wheel flange.

5. A flange .lubricator comprising, in combination, substantiallyhorizontal casing presenting a reciprocable lubricator brush projectingthrough one end thereof, a lubricant receptacleabove said -casing andconnected therewith near the opposite end, a tubular plungerreciprocable within the easing for supplying lubricant to said brush,said tubular plunger communicating with the interior-of said casing, aspring opervatn ely nterpesedbetween one end of said casingand saidtubular plunger whereby to maintain the plunger in its outermostposition with the brush engaging the wheel flange, and means associatedwith said brush adapted to reciprocate said plunger to flaed thelubricant through the bristles of said brush to the flange.

6. In a flange lubricator for wheels, an oil container, a casingcommunicating with said oil container, a slidable hollow plunger aplunger, slidable in said barrel and casing,

provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots through which said pinextends, a head forming a tight joint with the interior wall of saidcasing, a sleeve carrying a brush mounted on the inner end of saidplunger and spring means normally urging said plunger and brushoutwardly so that the brush will engage the flange of a wheel, saidplunger and brush arranged -to be forced inwardly of the sleeve by theflange.

8. In a flange lubricator for wheels, an oil container, a casing, a pipeconnecting said oil container and easing, a series of inlet openings insaid casing forming a communication between said pipe and casing, astationary barrel secured in the outer end of said casing having achamber therein containing a spring and a pin, a plunger slidablymounted in the chamber of said barrel provided with slots through whichthe pin of the barrel passes and a head slidable in the said casingprovided with a projection, a brush secured to said projection, a sleeveslidable in the inner end of said casing and enclosing said brush andmeans for connecting said sleeve and brush to the plunger, said sleeveand brush being normally urged 0utwardly into engagement with the flangeof a wheel by said spring and adapted to be forced inwardly by theflange to pump oil through the bristles of the brush to the flange.

In testimony whereof I have afliXe-d my signature.

LOUIS N. VINCENT.

